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Soldier returns home, 7 years after ‘death’

DEHRADUN/ALWAR: Bollywood can't better this script. A soldier meets with an accident seven years ago, loses his memory and wanders around Haridwar as the Army declares him dead. And then the unthinkable happens. He meets with another accident and regains his memory. But there's more.

Retired subedar Kailash Yadav was preparing to deal with a 'drunkard' knocking on his door late at night last week when to his utter surprise, he saw his "dead" son Dharamveer Singh standing before him. The startled welcome gave way to a teary reunion as Dharamveer recounted his journey to Alwar to his wife, two daughters and brother.

Singh, 39, a jawan with the 66 Armoured Regiment in Dehradun, had been missing since 2009 and was declared dead three years later, as is the norm. His brother Ram Niwas told TOI, "My brother was driving a military vehicle on Chakrata road in Dehradun when he and two other jawans met with an accident. Their vehicle overturned on a divider. None of the bodies was found." The other jawans reported back to their units later but Singh had vanished into thin air.

The Army issued his death certificate and granted pension to his family.
The family had little hope of ever seeing him, but Manoj Devi kept a
fast for her husband's safety. "Somewhere deep down in my heart, I knew I
would see him again," she said. And she did.

Singh told his family that he did not remember what had happened to him
after the 2009 accident. "All he remembers is that he was begging on
the streets of Haridwar last week, when he was hit by a bike. The rider
rushed him to a hospital, where Dharamveer, after regaining
consciousness, realized that he had recovered his memory," said Ram
Niwas, who is a doctor.

Singh, who can't stop thanking God, said, "The biker who hit me gave me
Rs 500. I took the money and bought a ticket for Delhi. After that I
reached my village in Bhiteda, near Alwar. I am in shock. It felt so
good to see all of them. I could hardly recognizse my daughters. They
have become so big." One of his daughters is in Class 10 while the other
is in Class 12. The family has now brought Singh to Jaipur for
treatment.